Den Hartog, Christopher

Political Science

3.27/4.00

3.27/4.00

POLS 112

Freshman
N/A
Required (Major)
Dec 2006

This class has only three assignments: a 10% quiz in the third week, a 40% midterm, and a 50% final. Basically, a typical class went like this: he would put up a slide, talk monotonously about it and then would go onto the next slide. Class discussions were not encouraged. He uses two books for this class and bases most of the exam material from very specific details in only one of the books. I felt like no matter how I studied, there would inevitably be some minute detail that would show up about a specific essay in the book. Overall, this was a very boring class and if it is necessary to take, do not take Den Hartog!

Freshman
B
General Ed
Feb 2008

The lectures are extremely boring and his powerpoint presentations are online anyways. You could pass this class without ever going to lectures. He definitely knows his material but the class becomes extremely monotonous. Do well on the midterms and finals and take practice tests.

Freshman
B
General Ed
Feb 2008

Pro. Den Hartog is an excellent instructor. His love for the subject clearly shows through his lectures. It's true that you can get his lecture notes on blackboard but it's the extra note from the actual lecture that shows up on the midterm and final. Make sure to study the figures and graphs in the book and you'll do fine. He welcomes any questions on the subject matter and tries to get class involvement.

Freshman
B
General Ed
Feb 2008

Den Hartog is an ok professor. He basically reads off of what he has on his Powerpoint but he does add some value to it. He is really passionate about political science and is very knowledgeable. Unfortunately, there is a lot of reading you have to do and detail is crucial! There was just a quiz and two midterms and the final. It was pretty easy if you get the subject but if you can find a better professor for POLS 112 then go ahead.

Freshman
B
General Ed
Feb 2008

He didn't encourage individual comments, although there were those who persisted and did so anyways. Because of absences, he has removed his notes from Blackboard, so you should definitely attend to get the notes. His commentary is always passionate, and he makes you interested in POLS.

Junior
B
General Ed
Apr 2008

Go to lectures! His lectures cover most of the test materials, and there is only a quiz, one mid-term and the final. If I remember correctly is is 10%, 40%, and 50% for the total grade. If you pay attention and take notes you'll probably pass the class. The supplemental reading does come into play on all three tests, so it's worth it to do. Listen to how he tells you to study and you'll do fine.

Freshman
N/A
General Ed
Dec 2008

man. this guy really made this lecture class a LECTURE. so boring. so boringggg. the room got hotter than hell, and his voice, and boring lectures, put me right to sleep. i never went. showed up for tests. he put all the lectures on blackboard, and there rsome henious required reading. there was a random test, a midterm, and a final. easy. terrible class. the guy seems sweet though. i heard very helpful during office hours. he loves his material, just kinda, no really boring, if your not into sitting. try to get another teacher, if not, sweet guy, bring coffee, you may just knock out.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Jan 2009

I really liked him because he didn't give his opinion on issues during class. He just went straight to the material and presents it so clearly. Its obvious he has a lot of knowledge in this subject. I'd take him becasue you actually learn. Plus, his tests are pretty easy. Theres just a lot of reading but a good amount of the test material is based on the notes so its not too bad.

Freshman
A
Elective
Jan 2009

Den Hartog is a great professor who really knows what he's talking about and who's not at all bias. The tests are based mainly on the notes you take in class, so it's not hard to do well. There is quite a bit of reading, but most of his test questions are pulled from the lecture notes. There is one quiz (worth 10% of your grade), one midterm (worth 40% of your grade), and a final (which is non-cumulative and worth 50% of your grade). None of the tests were more than 55 questions. I would recommend this class and Den Hartog as a professor.

Freshman
B
General Ed
Jan 2009

Den Hartog has really boring lectures but he always let the class our an hour early for a 2-hour class. The entire grade is based on the midterm and the final and attendance is not required. If you know basic govt, you dont have to go to class and can still get an A or B. I didn't do any reading, but went to the lectures. I wouldve still been fine even if I didnt go to class. Take him if you want an easy GE, but dont expect to learn anything new about american government.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Jan 2009

Den Hartog is the man! He shows up exactly on time every day and he has power points of the lectures so taking notes isn't a huge deal unless writing helps you remember. Go to lecture and pay attention because the majority of the tests are on lecture material. You do have to buy the books and outline the chapters based on the lectures. I didn't study for the quiz or the midterm but I studied a bunch for the final and I got an A. The class has one 10% quiz a 40% midterm and 50% final. They are all multiple choice. TAKE HIM! He made the class somewhat interesting.

Freshman
B
General Ed
Feb 2009

Den Hartog is a pretty good choice for POLS 112. His grading system is as follows: 10% quiz about 3-4 weeks into the quarter, a midterm worth 40%, and the final worth 50%. He lectures solely off of powerpoint slides (which he posts online) but his commentary goes beyond the slides, so lecture is useful. I'd say about 80% of test questions come from lecture and the other 20% are from the assigned readings. The readings are extremely boring! But as long as you attend lecture, skim and get the main ideas from the readings, you should have a solid B. The class isn't much more than high school American Government. Oh, and the lecture was supposed to be 2 day/week for 2 hours, but Den Hartog lectured (almost always) for about 1:15-1:25 and then reserved the rest of the class for more in depth discussion for people interested. Very cool.

Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Feb 2009

Take Den Hartog for this class! Very minimal effort required, just study the powerpoints (provided on blackboard) and the book's companion website quizzes and you'll be fine. He makes it very easy to do well.

Freshman
B
General Ed
Feb 2009

Professor Den Hartog is an excellent professor. He is extremely knowledgeable, thoughtful, well-spoken, and did a terrific job of answering questions. However, after he "outed" himself as a Dodger fan, I didn't feel the same way about him. After all, how can such a brilliant man follow such a lousy baseball team?

Sophomore
A
General Ed
Mar 2009

Great professor, his class is not too difficult. The grade is based on 3 multiple choice (50 questions, roughly) which are mostly from the lecture. I didn't buy the book but attended lecture and found the tests to be fairly easy. He is realistic and won't make you sit through all of lecture, and posts the slides online. Don't miss too many lectures and pay some attention while you're in lecture and you'll walk away with a passing grade easily.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Apr 2009

This class was relativelly easy. The ggod thing is that he curves the exams and it's easy to get an A. He also lets you out like 45 minutes earlier.

Senior
A
General Ed
Jul 2009

His class went by faster then I thought. I couldn't come for a day (which is equivalent to a week during the summer) and was willing to catch me up. He also teacher politically neutral which is great. His test were usually pretty easy if you read the book.

Freshman
C
General Ed
Aug 2009

The class is not that easy.

Sophomore
A
General Ed
Jan 2010

I loved DenHartog. Definitely take him! His lectures can be kind of dull sometimes but he lets you out of class an hour early EVERYDAY. Also, the tests/midterms have HUGE curves. They aren\'t even that hard to begin with. He\'s a really nice guy and he genuinely cares about whether or not you are struggling.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Mar 2010

Great teacher, just go to the lectures and you are guaranteed a B if not an A. He is genuinely interested in the material and he always lets you out at least 35 minutes early. TAKE THIS CLASS if you need it for a GE, i highly recommend it.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Mar 2010

This class has a HUGE curve. I got 30 out of 40 on the midterm and that was an \'A.\' Take this class. Den Hartog is a great professor, he is very knowledgeable and passionate about politics, and for people who are semi interested in the subject it will be an fun/easy class. You barely have to do any reading, the lectures are fun to be at, and he lets out like 45 minutes early everyday unless you want to stay and learn more. (this may sounds weird, but he lectures for like an hour and 15 minutes, then all the students who are interested about current event politics stay until the remainder of class and he talks about what\'s going on now or shows videos about presidents..etc)

Freshman
A
General Ed
Mar 2010

Den Hartog is awesome. He is passionate about the subject and truly knows what he is talking about. I actually looked forward to this class because his lectures were so interesting. Also he heavily curves his exams which is pretty sweet(only 1 quiz, midterm and a final. Definitely take this guy.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Mar 2010

Although I had this class from 6-8pm, it was nice because he ALWAYS let you out early (the second half of the class was optional, with extra credit questions based off the optional material). He\'s a great guy who tries his hardest to make dry material as interesting as possible. There is 1 quiz worth 10%, a midterm worth 40%, and a final worth 50%. None of these exams were long, and they were relatively easy assuming you read. MAKE SURE YOU READ THE MATERIAL OR ELSE YOU WILL NOT DO WELL ON THE EXAMS. Do take a class with Den Hartog because he\'s the man.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Apr 2010

den hartog is a very rare pols teacher. he is politically neutral and constantly proves that throughout the quarter. i had his class from 6 to 8 in the evenings and loved it. he broke the lecture into two parts with a quarter to a third of it being optional, meaning i always got outta class 30 minutes before. his grade is based on three tests premidterm(10%), midterm(40%), and final(50%). i got a 13 out of 20 on the first test which translated into a b+ showing his curve is massive. overall, a great teacher that keeps you awake and gets through the material

Junior
A
General Ed
Dec 2010

This teacher is the type of GE teacher you want. He is very understanding that this is a GE class so it should not take away time from your major classes. His reading is about 40-70 pages a week and he only makes the information from the first half of the class testable on the quiz/midterm/final. His quiz is not cumulative either. the quiz is on the first weeks information...the midterm is on the next 4 weeks...and the final is on the 5 weeks following the midterm. So all you have to do to get an A is to go to his first half of his lecture twice a week, then spend one night of the week to read the assigned reading. even though his first half is mandatory the second half is really interesting and recommended.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Jan 2011

This guy turns a lecture that should have taken 20 minutes, into a lecture that takes about 2 hours. I mean all he does is ramble on off tangent on every example he gives. Basically just do the reading and show up to class with coffee and you will be fine because his class is really easy. Just saying, this guy is an idiot, and doesn't know how to keep a class engaged because his examples are retarded. He always talks about tax dollars, and I can't believe that our tax dollars are being used to fund this guys paycheck!!!

Graduate Student
N/A
Required (Major)
Mar 2011

yo, hartog, how many hotdogs did you eat? uhh i dont know , like den of them?

Freshman
A
Elective
Mar 2011

First off, that joke was horrible, you must not have any friends and must be failing this class because of the inferiority of your mind. Anyways... if you took an AP government course or any government course in high school, this is just a repeat of that he just makes it sound more boring. Biggest waste of time ever. Once the first midterm is over, you never have to go to class again because he just repeats exactly what is in the book during his lectures. Basically everybody in his class gets either an A or B (other than the stupid kid that tried to make a joke but just ended up looking like he suffers from cerebral paulsy and down sydrome combined with autism) so take this class because it is an easy GE!!

Freshman
B
General Ed
Mar 2011

Den Hartog is nice. But his exams are not straightforward. The material in the books is pretty easy to comprehend, but are not tested in simple ways. At all. The class consists of a quiz, midterm, and final. The final is 50% of your grade. The class can be very dull, so be sure to bring food or something to keep you from falling asleep.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Mar 2011

These people below are harsh and probably never went to class so don't listen to them! Professor Den Hartog made a boring subject fairly interesting and was VERY knowledgable on the subject. He recognized that most of us were there for GE fulfillment, so taught us the basics instead of details. One little quirk... he tests mostly based on the lecture, except also on many of the BOXED things and picture captions in the book. So even if you don't feel like reading the textbook, definitely take the time to read all those things. Don't waste your time with the little book on California government... there's only about 4 questions on the tests that relate to it. Overall, this was exactly what i hoped for as a class to fill my GE D1, no essays or bullshit and only one quiz, one midterm, one NONcumulative final (all on a big curve too!). Go to class. Go to the extra credit portion of class. Study a little bit for the midterm and final and you'll do fine. I actually feel like i learned a lot about U.S. Government even after i already took AP Gov. in high school.

Sophomore
A
Required (Major)
Mar 2011

So smart, passionate, not trying to convert you on a political stance, super willing to help in office hours, makes a sometimes dry subject fascinating!
Work hard and you'll do just fine.

Graduate Student
A
General Ed
Mar 2011

This class is easy as cheese. Our class met once a week and he let us out early every time. Seriously, all you have to do is go to all den lectures and you're set. I got a den out of den on the first quiz which helped me get a B- in the class.

Sophomore
A
General Ed
Mar 2011

Pols 112 was probably the easiest class I have had at college. No homework, two tests, one quiz. Hardly read at all either. However, I really enjoyed this class and felt that I learned a lot about the fundamentals of politics. Before I thought politics was totally stupid but now I see more of the logic behind it - dealing with collective action problems, delegating power to an authority, etc. I thought that he did a really good job in not weighing students down with facts that will be forgotten after the class is over and instead putting emphasis on understanding the basics of politics.

Senior
B
General Ed
Apr 2011

The class consists of a quiz one the second week worth 10% of your grade (easy A, especially if you do the readings), a midterm worth 40% of your grade, and a final that was 50% of your grade and not cumulative. I never went to class. I didn't even do all of the readings. The book does help a lot. If you read the books you will get an A. His lectures were boring, but he's a really nice guy so if you don't understand something he'll be happy to explain it to you.

Sophomore
N/A
General Ed
Dec 2011

This guy might not be the most interesting lecturer, but he presents the information in a clear and concise manner that really makes it easy to understand. Overall, the class is pretty easy, I would recommend it for anybody looking for an easy B. That being said, there are three grades in the class, a quiz that's worth 10%, a midterm worth 40%, and a final that's worth 50% of your grade. Going to lecture is imperative; he posts his slideshows online, but they are very rudimentary and you can't glean much information from them without the lecture. Reading the book definitely helps, but I didn't do it for the final and I'm pretty sure I did just fine. Overall I would definitely recommend this guy.

Sophomore
A
General Ed
Dec 2011

For a big lecture class, Den Hartog does a pretty good job. I really liked politics to begin with, so I actually really enjoyed what he had to say and did very well in the class. If you don't have any interest in politics, you might have a hard time staying awake, but it's still not a bad option. He posts his slideshows on Blackboard but I'd still recommend going to class even if it might seem repetitive; you'll learn the stuff better. Also, you should definitely read the textbooks. If you actually try in the class, it's an easy A. The tests are curved like crazy. Also it's worth mentioning he's pretty good at keeping it unbiased. I can see how it'd be easy for a professor to integrate their political views in the material, but he manages to keep it nonpartisan.

Sophomore
B
General Ed
Mar 2012

The long and short of it is: this class was a piece of cake. He never keeps you the full scheduled time. The only graded assignments are 1 quiz (5% of grade), the midterm (40%) and the final (55%). All are multiple choice. My one criticism is that he is a very dull as are his powerpoint slides. But on the plus side you can pretty much skip every class (he doesn't take attendance) and still pull a high grade as long as you manage to get the readings done in time for the tests. That's what I did and it worked out pretty well for me, I got a B+.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Mar 2012

Easy class, 1 quiz, 1 midterm and a final that is not cumulative.

Junior
B
General Ed
Aug 2012

Mr. Den Hartog delivers the material very well. He turned a subject that I had always found boring into something I was interested in and actually cared about. His tests were moderately challenging but always fair: all the questions were straight out of the reading or from his lectures. His class was very enjoyable and you learn a lot of cool things.

Junior
N/A
General Ed
Oct 2012

I thought this class to fulfill my general education. I personally had an interest in Politics and he fulfilled that interest with his type of lectures. His lectures were straight forward and easy to understand and only lasted for an hour to an hour of a half, with the rest of class optional for extra credit or further discussion if your interested in politics. The structure consists of one quiz, one midterm, and one final. The quiz is meant as practice to see how he will word the questions for the midterm and final. Tests are curved which can be beneficial. But if you go to lecture and take notes and do the readings, you will do very well. You have to do the reading since reading discussions is not included in lecture. Otherwise a good professor that presented material well and kept me awake at 8:00 - 10:00 P.M.

5th Year Senior
A
General Ed
Dec 2012

Professor Den Hartog went through the motions just fine, but I'm surprised he is regarded so highly on Polyratings. On one hand, I feel bad for him because he clearly knows the ins and outs of politics but the relative simplicity of the material and his stiff lecture slides have the effect of smothering his vast reservoir of knowledge. On the other hand, I see him as somewhat lazy. I pay for a four unit class but only get two units of material out of it because of the shortened lectures and only occasional optional "bonus" portion afterward. While I can't know for sure, I feel like other students' approval of Professor Den Hartog is related to the extremely low difficulty of the tests (which constitute the entire grade). I was stupid enough to buy the textbooks, which I only flipped through two times. It's the same material I learned in middle school and high school, only for college credit this time. What a joke. Den Hartog is at his best when answering questions outside the strict confines of the course material. Otherwise, I find him a pretty average teacher.

Sophomore
N/A
General Ed
Mar 2013

Professor Den Hartog, while a somewhat monotonous lecturer, knows the subject very well and seems enthusiastic about it. The class grade consists of one quiz, one midterm, and the final, with no other work besides keeping up with textbook readings. The quiz and midterm were quite tricky, so I would suggest doing the readings. Easy and very passable POLS 112 class overall.

Junior
A
General Ed
Mar 2013

Den out of Den

Senior
N/A
Elective
Jun 2013

Good teacher for this class. Straight forward lecturer and he knows his stuff. Classes were good. Exams were a little confusing as the questions included answers like all the above and none of the above with a little award and confusing wording. Good lecturer and teacher though.

Senior
A
General Ed
Jun 2013

This guy goes on for DAYS. Good class. First 90 minutes is spent lecturing. Last 30 is spent on material that you can earn extra points on the exam. I never stayed for those. Still got an A. The reading put me to sleep 3 times on average. There's a lot of reading.
If I had to retake the class, I would just go through the reading that he assigns and only read the charts and figures. The exams cover those but they don't really cover the heavy content and details from the books. I'd read the small blue handbook about CA government though since it was on the final. As for the federal government portion, his slides do a really good job of covering what will be on the exam.
And try to sit near an exit. You never know when you'd want to peace out of the lectures since 90% of them seem drag on forever.

Sophomore
A
General Ed
Jun 2013

For a GE most of us have to take, Hartog tries to make lectures interesting with pictures and videos that captures the topics. He's a cool guy, makes his class pretty straight forward, and he doesn't shove his political views down your throat. I didn't do any of the reading (except for the only quiz) and still got an A. Highly recommended

Sophomore
A
General Ed
Jun 2013

He gives 2 exams and a quiz. The final is worth 55%, the first exam is 40% and the quiz is 5%. The midterm was hard because a lot of the questions were strange but he curves it heavily. The final was a lot easier and boosted my grade and a lot of people's grades. The quiz is easy but don't slack off! Do the reading :) Good class to take for a D1!

Senior
N/A
General Ed
Jul 2013

Great professor. He is not politically biased. Enjoyed going to lecture every day. I highly recommend him. To me, this class was very fun and the stress level was very low, since there are no Lab reports due each week.

Sophomore
A
General Ed
Aug 2014

I loved this guy. He was so interesting and funny and really presented the material clearly. The readings are completely necessary for the tests; they're not easy, but do reflect class material and readings. THE GREATEST THING, though, is that he lets the class out 45 minutes early every lecture. The remaining time is "optional" and is accounted for in extra credit questions on the test that he discusses during that time. The thing is, there's only like 4-5 questions (in addition to the 50) on the test, and they're only worth 1 point each. Also, you can just guess at them and probably get a few points. POINT IS, this is an interesting class that you really don't even have to go to for that long. TAKE THIS GUY!

Senior
B
General Ed
Dec 2014

Lectures are so boring. He speaks in a monotone voice for an hour and a half (the two hour lectures are broken up, so the last 30 minutes is optional to attend). His tests SUCK! He provides no study guide, no hw, one quiz the first 2 weeks of class, and one midterm. When it was time to take the final I felt so unprepared and I had no idea what to study. It was a really hard test too, and I'm not the only one who felt this way.
If you're looking for a class with minimal work, this is it. But the midterm and final were really hard and he does not prepare you for them. This is coming from a student who usually gets As and went to every class, took notes, and did ALL of the reading. Everything was fine but the my main warning is that the tests are bad news.

Freshman
C
General Ed
Dec 2014

Not a fair class in any way shape or form.
Lectures resemble basic high school, maybe even middle school government class. Tests resemble something completely the opposite. I attended every lecture, did every reading assignment, study extensively for both the midterm and final, and ended up with a C. His tests are composed of trick questions, and do not follow anything he has taught during the quarter. I would strongly encourage taking a different professor for this course. Getting a C in such a basic GE course is absolutely ridiculous.

Junior
A
General Ed
Dec 2014

This class was chosen on my part to be the easiest GE I could find. And it paid off pretty well. Workload is non existent, besides studying for the one quiz, one midterm and the final. Test questions were somewhat bullshit, involving specific book details that I would just guess on for tests. Ended up with an A in the class at the end somehow, much due to luck. With less than 100 MC questions between all three scantrons, a few lucky guesses goes a long way

Freshman
A
General Ed
Jan 2015

Overall a good professor. Sometimes his lectures can be boring, but the second half of each class is optional, and only covers extra credit material.

Freshman
B
General Ed
Jan 2015

Being a Poli Sci major I went into this class with a big ego and high expectations. This is by far one of the most easy going classes there is however, there were numerous problems in his teaching style. I for one cannot understand nor comprehend people when they can't speak fluent sentences, this class was especially difficult to may attention in considering he stutters and repeats himself throughout the lecture. His midterm is hard but he curves it heavily, still got a D though. It wasn't even that it was that hard there really just weren't many expectations. The final is a lot easier and I ended up with a B- in the class. There is no point in staying for the second half of the class especially because the only was you get extra credit is if you get all of the extra credit right and its literally one point. Class isn't awful but it was pretty shitty and fucked up my gpa.

Sophomore
B
General Ed
Feb 2015

AWFUL! I am a political science major and this class was a complete over view of my high school government class. Actually my high school class went into more depth then Professor Den Hartog did. If you are taking this class just as a GE then it is easy. Hardly anyone got an A because he made his exams harder then his class. He stands in front of class (doesn't count attendance) presents a power point and then its over. 50% of grade is on midterm and then final. If you are good at multiple choice you should be fine. If you looking to just full fill a requirement with a B or C and be bored out of your mind then this is your class. If your a POLS major or actually want to learn about government beyond your high school class don't take him.

Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Mar 2015

I absolutely adore Den Hartog. Heís such a nice guy, and isnít politically biased, which is hard to find in college professors. His exams are based directly on 2/3 lecture material and 1/3 reading material, and are very straightforward. Iím a Poli Sci major, and after having taken AP Government in high school, I was expecting this to be largely a repeat of that class. It basically was, but not quite as in depth (to be expected, since a high school government class is over the course of a year). For a class that could easily have been monotonous and boring, Den Hartog made attending lectures enjoyable. Donít be afraid to go to office hours or stay after class and ask questions, or just talk to him. Youíll gain a lot of extra knowledge by doing that, and youíll get to know Den Hartog a lot better. And to all the people below commenting on the way he talks, since when does that have any bearing on how well someone teaches a class? Get over it.

Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Oct 2015

I've had Den Hartog for three different Pols classes, and they were all great experiences. He is a straightforward lecturer and his exams follow suit. He's also welcoming during his office hours which was very useful prior to the final at the end of the quarter. Overall I'd say Den Hartog is an underrated professor and I would definitely recommend him for any classes he teaches.

Freshman
B
Required (Major)
Nov 2015

He is a sweet, humble guy, and knows a lot. I found his examples very helpful and his lectures interesting. That being said, his test questions were 'tricky' and the clarity of the lectures led me to (mistakenly) believe the tests would be clear cut if not necessarily easy.
Overall I would recommend the class, because studying and paying attention can get you an A or B and he goes slow in lecture and is unbiased.
If you are taking it early, definitely bring some coffee.

Freshman
N/A
General Ed
Dec 2015

From the get-go I could tell that Den Hartog is a genuinely nice person and cares a lot about political science. However, he does not speak clearly which is a problem especially in a 150-person class. I also feel that his lectures and the readings are not accurately represented on the exams. Many of the questions are vague and tricky, and for tests and quizzes being a majority of your grade in the class, it is very frustrating. I believe that Den Hartog is a passionate lecturer, but that's the only positive aspect of his teaching that I could gather. Actually digesting the information from his lectures and attempting to regurgitate it on the tests is almost as mind-numbing as sitting in the hot and crowded room listening to his monotone speech.

Freshman
A
Required (Major)
Dec 2015

Den Hartog is a cool dude, but honestly I would not recommend him unless you're a political science major and took AP gov. His lectures were super boring for me, especially because it was basically just a watered down version of AP gov. There are A LOT of trick questions on his tests and his tests are substantially harder than the lectures. If you want a class with no homework this is it, because the reading is basically pointless, but honestly I would try to get a different POLS 112 professor if you can

Freshman
A
General Ed
Dec 2015

He is the most BORING professor. I never payed attention in any of his classes. The only grades he has is 1 Quiz (10%), Midterm (40%), and Final (50%). It is all multiple choice and very easy to do poorly on because there are barely any questions. His quiz is just to let you get a feel on how he tests. I got 5/14 on the quiz and 26/30 on the midterm. Do not think I did that well on the final but somehow I still got an A in the class. He curves a lot on each test! Just know that for him "none of the above" is the answer a lot on his tests.

Senior
Credit
Elective
Jan 2016

Hartog's nice, pretty knowledgeable, and very approachable. Only issue is that his lectures can drag on and his voice is monotone, so it's hard to pay attention.
That said, 112's great for a GE. I took it credit/no-credit, but I would've gotten an A if I didn't. So yeah, take it for a grade.
The workload is super light. You just do the readings (he doesn't enforce it, but the tests mostly come from there). I probably didn't do my own studying for more than 3 hours total for the whole quarter.

Freshman
N/A
General Ed
Feb 2016

Den Hartog, where to start, wow he is just awesome inside an out! 10/10 would recommend taking his class, he is just one of those guys that you just want to hug. LOVE LOVE LOVE .

Freshman
N/A
General Ed
Mar 2016

Den Hartog is just such a warm and bubbly guy, if you are interested in having a good time and learning more about the basics of politics take this class! He truly lights up when he talks about Congress, so fun!!!
love love love

Sophomore
A
General Ed
Mar 2016

I debated doing this review because a lot of the previous reviews are extremely accurate. He only has a quiz, midterm, and final, and he curves them all FAT. He lets the class out early every class and the rest of the second hour is an extra credit portion, where if you attend this, you can answer questions on the tests that pertain to the material he went over during those times (mainly current events that would be really interesting during election season). I would recommend taking VICIOUS notes because he spends about 10 minutes on each slide just talking about them, so you miss a LOT if you're only looking at the powerpoints. I never read the online textbook and still got an A, but that's not for everyone, because he definitely asks questions on the test about the reading. Also to keep in mind, he curves FAT. Like insanely fat. I would recommend him, as well as sitting near the front because his voice is kind of interesting-sounding, and might not be easily heard all the way in the back.

Junior
A
General Ed
Mar 2017

GREATEST PROFESSOR OF ALL TIME. DONT ASK QUESTIONS JUST TAKE HIM

Freshman
A
General Ed
Apr 2017

The previous reviews are pretty accurate. Most of his lecture topics are dry, but he's a super nice dude who genuinely cares about political science and teaching students. He lets the class leave after the first half, but I always stayed for the second half since extra credit is discussed there and because what he talks about then is SOOO much more interesting than the lectures! His midterm and final were both around 35 questions, and its important to do well on those because there's not a lot of questions and easy to bomb it. So, those potential 3 extra credit questions can help your grade a ton! The quiz was rough. A lot of his test questions are super ambiguous and unclear, and often super strange questions that barely resemble the lecture. He assigns a buttload of reading and barely pulls any questions from it for the test but when he does - it's the most random material ever. But at least, he gives us an online textbook for free. Other than that - no other homework except the reading. That was kind of annoying to deal with, but as long as you read the material, take brief notes, and pay attention in the lectures - an A is so easily attainable, trust me. But don't slack off. Nice dude. Take the class.

Sophomore
A
General Ed
Jun 2017

This was one of the best freaking classes. Take it as a GE. No seriously. 45% of your grade is a midterm thats about 40 questions (CURVED), 50% is the final (NOT cumulative), and 5% a short quiz at the beginning of the year so you can see what the test questions are going to be like. (All multiple choice/scantron). While his lectures can be a bit dry/slow, it helps you fully absorb the subject/concepts. Oh and did I mention you don't have to buy a textbook? The "textbook" is an online program thats only 30 dollars if I remember correctly, and its required, but it is freakin great. The assigned online readings are always pretty short (20-30 min each class), and contain pictures and short videos to help illustrate concepts and examples. It is really visually appealing and easy to read. TAKE THIS CLASS easy A if you show up to most classes and do the online readings. (his tests are about half questions from lecture and half from the online stuff)

Sophomore
B
General Ed
Jun 2017

EASY A. Except I got a B, but understandably so. Go to class everyday, take notes, look at him so he knows who you are, study, and you're good. I got A's and B's on the quiz, midterm, and final. Never read any of the course material, just went to class everyday like a normal student. He's really good at explaining material and doesn't make anything confusing. I opened the online resource maybe once, so I'm sure if I read everyday like I was asked then I would've gotten an A. But if you choose to take my route, it's still an easy class to perform well in. I never introduced myself to Den Hartog but he knew who I was because I sat towards the front of the room and made eye contact with him the whole lecture. Like I literally felt as if he were just talking to me because he stared solely at me for the majority of the lecture. Then one day outside of class he said "Hi ______" and I was like THA FUCK I've never talked to you before. SO. He knows his students that care and come to class, so its definitely a leg up to attend everyday. Honestly enjoyed this class a lot, easy to do well in, would definitely recommend for an easy GE.

Freshman
N/A
General Ed
Oct 2017

He sounds like he's always about to cry. It's almost cute. He's a COMPLETE poli sci nerd and he'll talk about it for EVER, which is definitely a good thing when it comes to class. He's always willing to clarify any questions, hypothetical or legit. The quizzes are super easy because they're online. Just show up to class and read the readings and you'll be FINE.

Freshman
A
General Ed
Nov 2017

Chris Den Hartog is one of the most magnanimous and powerful men to ever exist. If there is a heaven, he is first on the list to attend. Although the class was listed from 6:10pm to 8:00pm on the schedule, it never ran longer than 50 minutes. He gets in, says what he needs to say and gets out. The class is easy to take notes from, easy to get a good grade and easy on homework. I cannot think of a more cheerful or passionate man to teach a course such as this one. He is a living legend.

POLS 210

Freshman
C
General Ed
Jan 2009

Good teacher. Little boring in lecture but over all the class was alright. Test were pretty tough.

POLS 315

Senior
A
Elective
Dec 2008

I'm a journalism major who is just interested in Political Science and took this class for fun as one of my upper division electives for my major. I enjoyed the class and the prfessor so much that I will be taking another class with him next quarter and more political science classes as well before I graduate. I definitely recommend that you take a class with professor Den Hartog even if it's not a required course.

Junior
A
Required (Major)
Jun 2011

Den Hartog truly knows what he is talking about! He is just about as unbiased as a professor can be. His lectures can be boring but I didn't find them too awful. The class consists of 1 presentation (2 min. maximum), 1 midterm, 1 debate and the final. It's pretty easy to get an A if you go to class and pay attention.

Junior
A
Elective
Jun 2012

Den Hartog's pretty chill. I took him for both Presidency and Congress. I personally liked Congress a little better just cause it was more involved. You get to do a congressional simulation which can actually be really fun.
In 315, our grade was comprised of a midterm, final and group debate. I went to every class and took very minimal notes, but paid attention very well. For both classes, to study for the tests, I reviewed the power points he posts online a few times and skimmed over the readings, paying more attention to sections that we covered in class. Overall, I'd recommend both 315 and 319 even if you aren't a pols major.

Senior
Credit
Elective
Jan 2015

If you can get over Den Hartog's odd voice (it's like he's running out of air at the end of his sentences) - he's actually an okay teacher. He's not a dynamic guy but pay attention because his quick wit and sarcastic comments are quite entertaining. The class consisted of a midterm, in-class debate and final. You MUST do the readings in order to do well on the exams but know that he will NOT go over those readings in class. I was usually bored in that class but I took it CR/NC so I knew I could skate by. That being said, you can take it for a grade and skate by rather successfully. I didn't love the class but I realized how much I had learned from the class while watching the midterm elections.

Sophomore
A
Required (Support)
Mar 2017

This was actually a really interesting class, I learned a lot and have actually retained a great deal from this class. There is a midterm, final, and group debate that really doesn't take too much time to prepare for. I loved taking this class especially with Den Hartog, he outlined this class very clearly and made it overall very interesting. 10/10 would recommend even if you aren't majoring or minoring in POLS.

POLS 318

Junior
N/A
Elective
Dec 2007

Great teacher, his style of teaching is geared more towards Political Science students in the upper-division courses. I hope to take more of his courses.

POLS 319

Junior
A
Required (Major)
Jul 2008

Den Hartog is a great professor and his class was an interesting experience. Although the lectures can get boring because they're all power point, the second part of class is devoted to simulations of Congress. He gets the whole class involved and I think it helped students grasp a real picture of how Congress takes action. Pretty much no homework, just a few assignments and a midterm and final which aren't bad at all. Very approachable professor who wants his students to "learn by doing." I would definitely recommend him.

Sophomore
A
Elective
Mar 2009

Den Hartog's enthusiasm for the subject (Congress) is awesome and contagious. He's not at all boring (not sure where other reviewers got that idea), and the simulation is a great way to learn how Congress works. Read the books (don't slack), learn the rules of the simulation, and GO TO CLASS. Den Hartog goes the extra mile to make sure his students understand core concepts, but ultimately it's up to you to apply them. The tests (a midterm and final) are essay format and expect you to draw on reading and lecture material. I will definitely take his Presidency class soon.

Senior
A
Required (Major)
Sep 2009

Overall amazing teacher...approachable, organized, and knowledgable. He really keeps his students engaged with simulations on top of powerpoint lectures. He is a fair grader and gives out a managaeble work load. He also really makes an effort to know everyones name...which is nice!

Junior
N/A
Elective
Dec 2011

319 is the U.S. Congress class so we learned about the workings of the House and Senate. I definitely learned more about Congress than I knew before and I really liked doing the Senate simulation. The more you put into the simulation part of the class, the more fun it can be. There is not a lot of homework, mostly just reading, and the tests are essay but they are not too bad as long as you pay good attention in class.

Junior
A
Required (Major)
Dec 2012

take this class!!!! it's fun, easy and so different from any other POLS class. Den Hartog knows absolutely every detail about Congress. It's intimidating but he actually taught me so much. There's a simulation worth 55% of your grade. It's easy (once you figure out the rules) and actually really interesting. I loved this class

POLS 375

Senior
A
Required (Support)
Dec 2017

This class will teach you the basics of California Politics and California political issues. Overall, I would have to say it was pretty easy. He grades pretty soft on the exams. GRADE DISTRIBUTION: 35% MIDTERM, which was held Week 6. 45% FINAL EXAM. The exam questions are open ended essay questions which you can study for through looking at the lectures posted on polylearn, readings, or other in-class activities. Our midterm question was "suppose you were a politician in California and had this hypothetical agenda, how would you go about achieving your goals?" The final exam question was "What is one thing you want to change about CA govt./politics, how would you do it?" THE DEBATES: 20% of Grade, they were held during dead week/week 10. These were a group project and were pretty fun, but also pretty informal. He also grades these pretty soft/not difficult. Each group is assigned a topic. The topics surrounded CA politics issues and this quarter were Pro/Con about the following topics: Should Agriculture should pay more for water in California? Was the recently-passed housing bill will significantly improve California‚Äôs housing situation? Should CA adopt single payer health care? Should California build the High Speed Rail?